The Shapeshifter (Part 3: Jake’s Ex-Girlfriend And The First Interview Tape)

Something unexpected happened this past week. Imagine my surprise when I heard a knock on my door and looked through the peephole to see Kelly.

“How did you know I was here?” I asked after opening the door.

“I’m capable of putting two and two together. Neil.”

“Okay. Then why are you here?”

“Because…I want to help.”

I breathed in deep before replying.

“Go home,” I said flatly and tried closing the door.

She stuck her foot in the gap.

“I came all this way.”

“I get that, but trust me, you don’t want to know what’s at the heart of all this.”

“Neil, please. I need this as much as you do.”

I closed my eyes and exhaled. I didn’t want to get her involved. However, that look in her eyes made it impossible for me to say no.

“Alright, fine. Do you have your own room?”

“Yeah, it’s the one across the hall.”

I let her in and she closed the door behind her. I explained what I found and she listened intently.

“I know it sounds crazy,” I told her and was about to continue when she spoke up.

“No, I had a feeling it couldn’t be something human after I learned about the other murders.”

“There were others?”

She nodded.

“I was able to have some strings pulled through my dad.”

I should mention at this point that Kelly’s father is high up in law enforcement. He knows some important people so he would be able to access that kind of information.

“And you were able to convince him to let you see them?”

“Yeah. It took a while, though. I only got it because I promised I wouldn’t do pretty much what you’re doing now.”

“So you lied to him?”

“For a good reason. I told him I was taking a vacation. He was saying I needed one. Now, can I see the footage you mentioned?”

“Alright, but just so you know, this isn’t something you can unsee if you catch my drift.”

“I know.”

Her eyes grew huge upon viewing it. When she spoke again it was with a shaky voice.

“That’s what killed him?”

“Yep,” I replied grimly.

Seeing its grinning face for a second time was somehow even worse. It almost felt like it was staring at us through the screen. The feeling became too much and I closed the video.

“So, why don’t you show me what you got?” I asked.

Kelly took me to her room. A laptop lay on its desk and on it were files her dad sent.

“I hope you had a light lunch,” She said, opening the first one.

Seeing what was on the screen caused my stomach to lurch. On it was someone so eviscerated that I suspect the only way they were identified was through dental records.

“How did you not throw up when you saw this?”

Kelly shrugged.

“Iron stomachs run in the family.”

“Have you seen the other victims?”

“I have and they look pretty much the same as this one.”

“Any links?”

She shook her head.

“Not that they’ve been able to find so far. The oldest one was in her eighties.”

“And the youngest?”

“He was six.”

I felt cold and needed a moment to compose myself.

“So this thing’s attacking people at random?’

“Apparently.”

“What about connections that are psychological?”

“I suppose it’s possible. There are interviews and I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to them yet. Maybe they can tell us something.”

I’ve transcribed some of the interviews below with the names changed.

February 2, 2018. This interview was conducted by Detective George Maxwell with the interviewee being a man named Floyd Turner.

Maxwell: Whenever you’re ready.

Turner: I only remember hearing her scream from upstairs. Of course, I was up in a flash, but by the time I reached her room, she was already, well you know.

Maxwell: If I may ask, why were you sleeping downstairs?

Turner: We got into an argument. To make a long story short, I accidentally got her pregnant.

Maxwell: And I take it neither of you wanted kids?

Turner: Well, I didn’t. We were at each other’s throats about it. Honestly. I should’ve been upfront about it when she first asked. I kept telling her I’d think about it. Anyway, that night I had to sleep on the couch. Maybe If I was in the room I could’ve fought off whoever did that to her. I didn’t you know. I loved her.

Maxwell: We already know you didn’t because that would be impossible. Hell, even if there were multiple people working together at once, they wouldn’t be able to achieve that.

I’ve seen some shit in my time and that was by far the worst. Now, tell me was she acting strangely before the incident? Maybe like she was being followed?

Turner: Now that you mention it, she did seem more tired than usual.

Maxwell: And when did you begin to notice this?

Turner: It couldn’t have been more than a month before her murder. I asked her about it, but she said it was because of her work. She was never one to put her problems on someone else.

Maxwell: I think I can relate. Is there anything else you can tell us?

Turner: Well, there were times when I would see her just staring out the window.

Maxwell: And what was she staring at?

Turner: Nothing as far as I could tell. It was like she was expecting to see something. Of course, I asked her about that too and she told me she thought she saw a deer. I could tell she wasn’t being truthful, but I didn’t want to press her. Man do I wish I did now.

Maxwell: You couldn’t have known. My advice for you is to try and take things one day at a time. Anyway, I want to thank you for your cooperation. We’ll have someone escort you out.

The following month after the interview, Maxwell went missing along with his partner, a German Shepard by the name of Luther. Two weeks later both their remains were found. The former was found in his car with the driver’s window busted in, and half his torso chewed off. As for the latter, only his tag and tail were found approximately forty yards from Maxwell.

Something unnerving to note from the report is that several bite marks were found on his body that were consistent with Luther’s teeth. However, upon further testing, it was found that foreign DNA seemed to be present at the crime scene. We saw those photos too and despite them not being as gruesome as the others I saw, they freaked me out even more. It was because I could see his eyes in the photo and all the fear and panic they contained. Jake must’ve looked the same way.

At the very least, there may be a connection becoming more apparent between who it kills. I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep tonight so more time for research. I’ll update when I can.

Author’s note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did and want to throw some money my way, you can do so on either Cashapp or Kofi.